No talking, are you kidding?

This past Tuesday, I had my thyroid removed. It was much more of an ordeal that we even thought it was going to be. My orders are to not talk for at least one week and not sing for up to three months. Not talking is probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do, so I can get my talking out here. I have been going to an endocrinologist for the past 4 years and he has been watching benign tumors on my thyroid. I have had multiple biopsies, ultrasounds, you name it, I have had it! He finally decided that the tumors were so big that it was time to come out. Brian and I prayed long and hard about finding the right surgeon and he is a wonderful, man of God, prayer warrior and excellent surgeon. The surgery was supposed to take around 2 hours, it took 3. The thyroid is supposed to be the size of 2 pinto beans, it was the size of 2 eggs. The surgeon said I added 10 years to his life doing this surgery. It was as if my thyroid had been covered in super glue. It was stuck to everything and he had to take it out in pieces. Recovery has not been a fun process. My blood pressure continuted to sky rocket after surgery because of the way my body reacted to pain. The incision drained more than they liked and my calcium wouldn't come back up. I stayed in the hospital longer than originally thought, but thankfully was able to come home Wednesday night. It was nice to sleep in my own bed.

When the surgeon came in to talk to us on Wednesday afternoon, he explained that what I had was called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. This caused me to have hypothyroidism. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is a type of autoimmune thyroid disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. The thyroid helps set the rate of metabolism, which is the rate at which the body uses energy. Hashimoto’s stops the gland from making enough thyroid hormones for the body to work the way it should. Some common symptoms are fatigue, depression, sensitivity to cold, weight gain, forgetfulness, muscle weakness, puffy face, dry skin and hair, constipation, muscle cramps, and increased menstrual flow. Some patients have major swelling of the thyroid gland in the front of the neck, called goiter.

After the surgeon explained this to me, he asked if I liked my endocrinologist. He asked this because he knew that this doctor should have discovered this years ago and could have been treating it. You can easily treat it by having your doctor perform a simple blood test that will be able to tell if your body has the right amount of thyroid hormones. This test measures the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) to find out if the levels are in the normal range. The range is set by your doctor and should be discussed with you. Work with your doctor to figure out what level is right for you. There are other available tests that your doctor may choose to do if need be, such as a blood test to measure the level of “active thyroid hormone” or Free T4 and a scan (picture) to look at the thyroid. Anyway, my doctor only ever went by my TSH level, which was always low, but was in the normal range. Well, it was not the normal range that was right for me. My general doctor has been treating so many other symptoms I have been having such as depression, weight gain, etc, when it all stemmed from my thyroid.

Needless to say, I will not be returning to my endocrinologist. I would have still needed to have my thyroid out and I praise the Lord that He sent us the surgeon we used. He is wonderful. But, I could have been dealing with my thyroid with medication. At least I now know what steps need to be taken and we can get on the right track.

I tell you all this because maybe one of you out there is dealing with the same thing. Do not take that your thyroid TSH level is "normal." Find out what is "normal" for YOU!!

I am still dealing with high blood pressure, nausea, and pain, but that will get better. I praise the Lord for my husband and my mother and mother-in-law who have been taking care of me and my children. I wouldn't be able to do it without them. I thank all of you for your prayers and cards and food!! The food has been awesome. Bring it on!!!!!